Douluo Dalu - Volume 02 - The First Spirit Ring

by Tang Jia San Shao

  “How would teacher be poisoned?”

  Raising the question, Tang San suddenly felt Grandmaster’s body was somewhat abnormal, and hurriedly drew back his right arm’s jacket sleeve.

  He saw Grandmaster’s right arm was swollen to triple size compared to normal, skin stretched tight and turning bright purple, fortunately a cloth band was tied tightly on his upper arm, and clearly Grandmaster produced his own emergency treatment measures after being poisoned. Even though this way, under the circumstances the majority of the poison would not spread, but he was still unconscious, one could see how potent this poison was.

  In his mind a flash of light, and Tang San suddenly understood the cause for Grandmaster’s poisoning. Before when he and Grandmaster were escaping being killed by the datura snake, Grandmaster’s spirit Luo San Pao was bitten by the datura snake, exactly bitten on Luo San Pao’s right foreleg, at that time was recalled by Grandmaster very quickly. Beast spirits are one with their host, even though Grandmaster’s beast spirit was a variation it was still like that. Spirit being poisoned, is equivalent to the host also being poisoned? But Grandmaster wholeheartedly assisted him in absorbing the spirit ring, regardless of his own safety, waiting until after he entered cultivation state until his spirit power was unable to restrain the poison, so the poison spread.

  Comparatively speaking, in this regard tool spirits had the advantage: tool spirits contaminated by poison would not influence the host’s body.

  “Fortunately Grandmaster stopped the poison from spreading, otherwise I also would have no means.”

  After Tang San felt for the strength of the pulse in Grandmaster’s left hand, he secretly let out a breath. The poison had not yet attacked the heart, there was still time to save him.

  Coming from Tang sect, regarding how to deal with poisoned wounds Tang San was very clear. Right now, he was unable to not use flame whether or not it could attract spirit beasts, very quickly gathering some dry twigs and leaves from the surrounding, using a torch to ignite the pile, afterwards immediately tearing off Grandmaster’s right sleeve, using the short sword Grandmaster gave him to dig a hole in the ground, afterward pouring out fresh water, and cleaning the sword blade.

  The campfire gradually flourished, after Tang San repeatedly roasted the short sword over the fire, hauling Grandmaster’s body to the side of the little hole, letting his right hand hang down inside.

  Taking a deep breath, Tang San turned over the wrist, in three successive cuts, separately delimiting Grandmaster’s pulse point, crook of the arm and armpit.

  Immediately, three streams of blackish purple blood bringing a strong smell with a faint fragrance of tea spurted out, like three brooks flowing into the previously dug little hole.

  Part 2

  Tang San’s one hand pressed on Grandmaster’s chest, urging the just now promoted Mysterious Heaven skill internal strength, his left hand on successive points sealed the four energy channels in Grandmaster’s chest, preventing the poisonous vapour from spreading. Simultaneously his right hand began to knead Grandmaster’s chest, relying on internal strength to push the motion of qi and blood in Grandmaster’s body. Slowly pressing the poison to one place.

  Mysterious Heaven skill could be regarded as Tang Sect’s highest inner strength core method, in itself it had a very powerful effect for removing poison, and it certainly was not just a violent internal strength. Extremely exquisite, a trace of a thread penetrated inside Grandmaster’s body, making sure to not leave behind any seed of future trouble.

  Undoing Grandmaster’s jacket, Tang San carefully observed the dark qi around Grandmaster’s body. Under the effect of Mysterious Heaven skill, the dark qi gradually converged flowing in the direction of Grandmaster’s right arm, right now Tang San still had not undone the cloth on Grandmaster’s arm.

  Poisoned blood flowing out, Grandmaster’s swollen arm gradually shrank back, skin colour gradually also becoming normal, Grandmaster’s face revealing an expression of suffering, mouth also began to emit groans.

  As the flow of blackish purple fresh blood gradually exhausted, fresh red blood began to emerge, Grandmaster’s arm also already became somewhat pale. Tang San picked open that cloth on Grandmaster’s arm, relying on internal strength at full speed to completely push out the last poison in one go, afterwards quickly sealing the blood circulation in Grandmaster’s arm and tearing off several strips from his own clothes and wrapping the cuts.

  Previously he could not impatiently undo the cloth on Grandmaster’s arm, because he feared Grandmaster’s blood flow would be too much - after all his poisoning had already not been brief.

  Poison dispelled, Tang San’s face was already covered in sweat. Even though Mysterious Heaven skill entered the second tier, it still wasn’t considered powerful, and using internal strength like this to assist expelling poison was most draining of internal strength and energy, and because of absorbing the spirit ring and enduring the energy he also felt somewhat emptied of strength.

  Tang San used clean water to clean up Grandmaster’s arm, afterwards using soil to bury that little hole filled with poisoned blood. This could be considered as wholly completing the work.

  Following this, Grandmaster remained unconscious for a full three days, and in that time he had a constant fever. Tang San every day could only pour into him a little fresh water, and in order to let Grandmaster’s body able to replenish some nourishment, he even cut down a tree to make a small bowl, using the brought dry meat with fresh water to cook some broth. Since this was Spirit Hunting Forest, Tang San dared not move a step away from Grandmaster.

  Fortunately, their luck could be considered not bad. Although the occasional spirit beast passed by, for the most part those were ten year spirit beasts, and their aggressive nature was also not very strong, and certainly did not bring any trouble to Tang San.

  “How am I like this?”

  Just when Grandmaster regained consciousness, it was already noon on the fourth day.

  His empty of power body could not put out a trace of strength, Grandmaster only found before him a blur, the sky spinning earth turning feeling made him unable to find directions, even raising his hands was strenuous.

  “Teacher, you're conscious.”

  Tang San amazed moved closer to Grandmaster’s side, a precise practiced internal strength transmitted into Grandmasters body.

  Under the aid of Mysterious Heaven skill, Grandmaster’s vitality roused a bit, eyes also finally gradually focusing.

  “Little San, I’m still alive?”

  Grandmaster astonished looked at Tang San next to him.

  Tang San nodded, saying:

  “Teacher, you’re living very well. Only this time must perhaps rest for a long while.”

  Grandmaster turned his head with difficulty, looking at his right arm,

  “You saved me.”

  Tang San scratched his head, saying,

  “When I was little dad taught me simple methods to deal with poisoned wounds, so when I saw you unconscious, I could only give it a try. Trying once after all had some chance, ‘doctoring a dead horse as if it was still alive’.”

  “Cheeky, you calling teacher a horse?”

  Grandmaster put on a slight smiling expression, of course, with his originally rigid face added to the current paleness, this smiling expression of his was even more unsightly than crying.

  Living, always was a glorious matter, even if it was the ambitious and proud all his life contributing to spirit research Grandmaster he also was no exception.

  Tang San laughed, saying:

  “Teacher, you first rest, I will give you some hot broth. You wake up, then again rest several hours and you can eat some dry rations. We at an early hour should leave Spirit Hunting Forest, the environment here is too lacking, and the air is also comparatively moist, harmful to your wounds recovery.”

  Grandmaster seemed to suddenly think of something,

  “Little San, did you succeed?”

  To Gran
dmaster, his research theories were even more important than life.

  Tang San said with a small smile:

  “Teacher, please be at ease. I succeeded. Look.”

  While speaking, Tang San raised his right hand, faint white light floated right now on the surface of his skin, immediately following, deep blue colour blue silver grass thronged out from the centre of the palm. A distinct ring of yellow light ascended from underfoot, centring on the body as it floated up and down. Precisely the outstanding characteristic of a first ring spirit master.

  Previously blue silver grass’ width did not reach a half finger, but the current blue silver grass’ width already became three fingers. The grass blade compared to before was also several times thicker, bearing an odd veined pattern. Counting ten blue silver grass at lightning speed spread out all around, grass blade tips lifting, just like ten extra datura snakes hunting everywhere.

  The blue silver grass did not at all have the datura snake’s stench, but only had the faint tea fragrance, that intoxicating fragrance brimming with danger.

  In Grandmaster’s eyes flickered an extremely moved radiance, and with difficulty resisting the excitement, he said:

  “How is the toughness?”

  Seeing is believing, so Tang San answered Grandmaster with action. Among the ten blue silver grass breaking away from his palm one suddenly flew up, twining around a small tree as thick as an arm, the other end returning to Tang San’s hand. His right hand pulled back strongly, and the small tree trunk immediately curved down, causing the blue silver grass to stretch perfectly straight, but did not have the slightest indication of splitting.

  “Good, this truly is great. It seems my judgement was completely correct, after blue silver grass infused the datura snake spirit ring, it gained toughness, if my conjecture is not mistaken, and it should still have attached a datura snake’s toxicity. Only, what is its current ability?”

  Part 3

  A spirit after obtaining the spirit ring, all abilities must undergo a process of variation to evolve. Different spirits with similar spirit rings evolve completely different abilities, and vice versa, even if the spirit ring only is different in age, the abilities will still have great differences.

  Therefore, even though grandmaster regarding spirit research already was considerably thorough, he was still unable to confirm what the resulting effect of Tang San obtaining this first spirit ring would be.

  Tang San said:

  “Grandmaster, these several days I used some weak ten year spirit beasts to experiment. What you said is not incorrect, blue silver grass indeed inherited some of the datura snake’s poison nature, but without the deadly attack nature hyper toxicity, rather the paralysing effect of the datura snake’s poison nature. But it must come into direct contact to have effect. The poison nature can’t be considered very strong, but it very clearly has a restricting function. And blue silver grass ability, is binding. Depending on spirit power control, binding the enemy to a stop, can render it unable to move.”

  While speaking, Tang San relying on spirit power controlled his released blue silver grass to put the ability to use.

  Seeing the more than ten deep blue blades of grass simultaneously rise up from the underbrush, and in a flash twine around a thick tree trunk. The grass blades were striking out from a hovering stance, covering the area within ten square metres. Being within this range, one would fundamentally be without ability to dodge.

  Instantly, the more than ten blue silver grass had already twined tightly around the big tree.

  Grandmaster’s eye revealed a slight glitter of deep thought,

  “As expected, a control system spirit master’s characteristic. If you could have a powerful attack hand in concert with you, your spirit effect can be developed even more clearly. What is called a control system spirit master, is just controlling the opponents actions, this binding ability’s effect is like that. In itself also adding the paralysis effect, only when the opponent is a two spirit ring existence surpassing you, otherwise it would be unable to struggle free of this binding ability. Little San, we succeeded.”

  Speaking of spirits, Grandmaster at first was not like a severely injured person, both eyes radiating vigour, his tone indescribably excited.

  The greatest characteristic of this blue silver grass ability was its unexpected nature. In Tang San’s tests, within a range of fifty metres he could control blue silver grass to attack from any place. Can’t be guarded against. Particularly within a forest with numerous plants, where blue silver grass had even more cover.

  Tang San also cooked a pot of broth, furthermore chopping boiled meat and feeding some to Grandmaster.

  With something in his belly, Grandmaster’s recovery rate rose, but they had no choice but to prepare to leave Spirit Hunting Forest, because of the food and drinking water they brought after this many days there was already practically nothing left.

  This was still so under circumstances where Tang San had been as sparing as possible.

  Grandmaster still had not recovered the strength to move about, therefore he was carried on Tang San’s back out of Spirit Hunting Forest. Because the difference between these two people’s statures was too big, all the while Grandmaster’s both legs dragged on the ground. Relying on his surpassing strength and internal strength, Tang San under Grandmaster’s directions, step by step carried Grandmaster out of Spirit Hunting Forest, riding a carriage to return to Nuoding primary spirit master academy.

  Throughout, regardless of when Tang San cared for Grandmaster or in the process of carrying him out of the forest, Grandmaster from start to finish did not speak a word of thanks, but the gaze he looked at Tang San with already no longer only seemed to see a substitute disciple for fulfilling his own vain hope, more like a feeling that should appear in Tang Hao’s eyes.

  Teacher for a day, father for a lifetime. These eight simple words were branded even more deeply in Grandmaster’s heart.

  Undergoing several days of recuperation with Tang San’s meticulous care, by the time they returned to the academy, Grandmaster could already with difficulty walk supported on Tang San’s arm. However, in Tang San’s estimation, Grandmaster this time receiving a poisoned wound caused his constitution great injury, in order to completely recover, he still must not walk for at least a month’s time.

  Grandmaster was only an honoured visitor at Nuoding primary spirit master academy, with connections to the chairman true, but without a relative. In the near future, Tang San naturally must be in charge of caring for his Teacher, this bit he long ago already knew well. Even on the road every day he made assorted plans on how he should care for Grandmaster.

  At just this moment in the morning students started class, and within the Nuoding academy everything seemed very peaceful. Tang San supporting Grandmaster returned directly to his room letting him rest on the bed.

  “Finally returned, Teacher you please also properly rest. For this time you must properly recuperate, be sure not to overwork, if you have some business, you immediately instruct me to go.”

  Grandmaster quietly nodded, and said:

  “I didn’t expect to this time still be able to barely escape from mortal danger. My body recovering doesn’t matter, but your cultivation cannot be interrupted. Meanwhile, you still must go settle one matter. Little San, take from the bookshelf on your left in the third row the second book from the left and come give it to me.”

  “Ok.”

  Tang San according to Grandmaster’s instructions took out a thick book, what surprised him, was the title on this book.

  Grandmaster without taking the book from his hands said:

  “In this book is recorded some of my research on cultivating spirit power. Although spirit power is cultivated by meditation circulating spirit power itself, among this are very many techniques. What kind of movement route is generally easy to promote strength, what kind of spirits under what kind of circumstances are best suited to cultivation, all details are recorded here.
At this time I am unable to personally direct you, but you definitely cannot relax.”

  “Yes.”

  Tang San respectfully replied. Although he still had not opened the book to read, in his heart was an indescribable shock.

  Undergoing this time’s spirit ring breakthrough, he regarding spirits could be considered to have an overall comprehension, and according to his understanding, what was called spirit power was actually a kind of internal strength, only the vast majority of people’s cultivation methods are all simply operating them without pattern.

  Part 4

  Tang San possessed Mysterious Heaven skill’s cultivation method, in the future cultivation rate would certainly be even better than the majority of spirit masters. But hearing what Grandmaster said, he who studied cultivation methods, should be similar to cultivating internal strength’s circulation route. Able to research this one step, how much effort did Grandmaster have to expend? One must know, Mysterious Heaven skill would be the result of countless generations of Tang sect ancestors shedding their heart’s blood for experience. Grandmaster was only one person.

  “In addition, you go right now to Nuoding city’s Spirit Hall. On the way ask anyone for its location, it’s near the city centre. You go there to conduct the spirit master authentication: it tests your spirit power condition, and in addition it also counts as official Spirit Hall registration, so afterwards you can receive a stipend every month. You need not continue being a working student.”

  Tang San carefully put the book Grandmaster gave him within Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges. He did not know what Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges’ it was made of, but it possessed extremely tough and pliable elasticity. Contracting to its smallest, Tang San with this kind of child’s stature could bind it around the waist, but if extended, even if it was a burly fellow with four chi around the waist they could still carry it, and all along the belt’s width would be constant.

  Right now, Tang San wore the Nuoding primary spirit master academy uniform, on his waist he also wore the belt Grandmaster gave him, the whole person’s Jing-Qi-Shen strength was already completely different from when he arrived at the academy, just what is called ‘clothes make the man’. Although he could not say he was handsome, looking neat and tidy still gave people a somewhat fresh and cool feeling.